Splicing attachment for knitting machines



Aug. 27, 1929. 5:, PAGE' 1,726,410

SPLICI'NG ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 16, 19 28 3 She ets-Sheet 1 1.? u INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE Q51 722's azzorzzeys Aug. 27, 1929. 1:, G 1,726,410

SPLICING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 16" 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE by )zz'a 422072296 MMJM Aug. 27, 1929. 5, PAGE 1,726,410

SPLICING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .35 9'5Ll F .f fd

r I I INVENTOR ALBERT E. PAGE Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT E. IAGE, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, IVNCOB-Q PORA'IED, OF NEW YO N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.-

SPLICING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed April 16,1928. 'Serial No. 270,311.

This invention relates to the art of knitting and in particular to the knitting of a splicing or reenforcing yarn with the main yarn in tubular fabrics such as stockings.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for use on a circular knitting machine which will enable an auxiliary or splicing yarn to be knit with the main yarn in a portion of a course and whichmay be adjusted to vary the extentof the'portion in which the splicing yarn is knit.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism for lifting a splicing yarn guide out of operative position during variable portions of a course, giving, nevertheless, uniform functioning of the yarn finger regardless of the length of the portion of a course in which it is operative.

Several embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 1

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 shows in elevation, an embodiment of the invention applied to the head of a cir-v cular knitting machine, the yarn finger bemg show-n raised out of operative position; Fig. 2 1s a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the same embodiment, with the yarn finger in Operative position.

Fig. 3 is a detail view ofa portion of the same embodiment;

Fig. 4: shows the same embodiment with the yarn guide out of operative position;

Fig. 5 is a plan'view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, with certain parts broken away; 7

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 7 8, 9 show three other embodiments of the invention applied to the same type of knitting machine as shown in Fig. 1; a

Fig. 10 shows a stocking having portions which may be produced by means of the present invention.

The invention is described and shown as incorporated in a circular knitting machine of the type shown in the patent to Scott 1,152,850 dated September 7, 1915.

The bed plate D carries an upright post 401 at one side of the needle cylinder 260. Pivoted on the post at 552 is a latch guard ring 550 which extends overthe needle cylinder but maybe swung upwardly out of the way. Post 401 also carries a comb or guide member 462 slotted to guide the thrust rod 460 and other rods (not shown) which rest at their lower ends on the pattern drum 120. This 'drum has, on its face, cams 5,01, 501 described hereinafter, for. lifting the thrust rod during predetermined periods of the knitting of the fabric. The thrust rod is guided at its lower end inza lower comb 452 pivoted ona stud 450.

Mounted to rotate with the needle cylinder is a web holder bed 295and above it is a web holder cam ring 300 having lugs 304 to engage 'afixed post (not shown) to hold the ring 300' from rotation with the needle cylinder. i

The yarn guides or fingers are pivoted on a horizontal pin 554 which extends between upstanding arms 555 of the latch guard ring 550. But one yarn guide is shown here, that one being for the splicing yarn and denoted as F. This yarn guide is curved downwardly from thepin 554'to a foot which, when the guide is in operative position, rests on the throat plate 559. A spring, not, shown, is provided betweenthe pin- 552 and the yarn guide to urge the latter toward its operative position on the throat plate.

According to. the present invention the thrust rod 460 is of such length that it normally does not touch the yarn ide when the latter is in operative position on the throat plate. This is shown on Fig. 2 where thethrust rod is in its lowest position free: ofthe cams on the patterndrum and does not touch the yarn finger at its upper end.

Near the upper end S of the thrust rod is a lug S adjustably held in position by .a

screw 11 taking through an elongated slot 12. The lug hasa cam follower or wiper 13 for engaging a multiple cam 296 on the web holder bed295.

The cam 296 has two camifaces, the upper one havingian outwardly lying portion 296 that is longer than the corresponding art 296*. of the lower one. i The purpose of t ese active'faces is to give the thrust rod a transverse displacement during a portion of each revolution of the needle cylinder to actuate the yarn finger. Due tothe cam faces of different lengths, the portion of the revolution. during which the displacement occurs may be varied by shifting the follower or wiper 13 from one cam face to the other;

To elfect the shifting of the wiper 13 from the lower cam face 296 to the upper and to permit its return, the pattern drum is provided with a cam 501 upon which the thrust rod can ride. The position of the cam 501 and its length depend of course upon the portion of the stocking atwhich 5 the particular splicing is desired. shown,

the low cam 501 follows the high c'am 501 which holds the yarn guide out of operative position for a number of revolutions when the unspliced portion of the stocking is being knit (see Fig. 4). When the portion to be spliced is to be knit, thethrust rod rides off cam 50.1 onto cam 501 which positions wiper 13 opposite the longer cam face 296*. This means that theyarn gnide will be held out of operative position during a consider-,

able portion of each revolution, or, in other words, that the splicing will be done for only a short portion of each revolution, usually less than half; V

WVhen the part of the stocking to be given a greater amountof splicing is reached, cam

'501 moves from under the thrust rod 460 and the wiper 13 drops to a position opposite cam face 296 which causes the yarn guide to be held inoperative during a shorter portion of each course. a

A. multiple cam could not ,practicably be used with a thrust rod such as commonly has been used heretofore,'since ithas been the practice'to have the upper end of the rod in engagementwith the finger when thelatter isin operative position. Shifting of such a rod to move the cam follower 13-from one cam face .toanother .would change the operative position of the yarn finger and would cause a different range of movement of the yarn finger depending upon which cam face was causing its movement out of operative position. I

Therefore, the present invention, .consid ered with reference to the particular machine described above, contemplates the use of an intermediate member between the thrust rod and the yarn finger to transmit tothelatter the displacement causedby the multiple cam-'andto keep the .yarn finger" from being'affected by shifting of the thrust rod tochange the position of the wiper with respect to thecam faces' I The design of the engaging portions-0f the intermediatemember and the thrust rod is such that the thrust rod slides on the member during the vertical movement by which the follower 13 is moved from one cam face to the other and causes movement of the member only when displaced transversely by The upper end S of thethrust rod has a reduced portion S of less width than the slot in comb 462 through which it passes, and has also a portion having a curved surface 18. Due to theinclination of the rod 460 with respect'to the axis and plane of the cams, and due also to the fact that the follower 13 moves in a strictly vertical direction on the cam 296, the outer or left hand edge of the thrust rod, if made in theusual way, would act as a cam or wedge on the member 15 and would move it to the left causing ashifting of the yarn finger., This wedge action is the equivalent of a lateral movement of the rod and if not avoided it would give a different operative position to the yarn finger for each different operative position of the rod'with respect to the cams. The effect of thisvertical movement of the thrustrod between its positions with respect to. the cams 296 and 296 is avoided by suitably shaping the pol tion 18 of the outer edge of the rod that engages the member 15. The curve of the portion 18 is such that when the rod is lifted it compensates for the effect of movement of the rod with the result that the rod exerts no force on, the pin 17 but merely slides on it. A second pin 19 is provided merely to limit the backward throw of the member 15. A cam face 201 on the member 15 engages a flanged wiper 21 on theyarn-finger F This wiper 21 is adjustably held by screws 23 and 25. ,An eccentric washer 24 (see Fig. 6) engages the flange onwiper 21 and upon rotation about screw 23, causes shifting of wiper 21 onthe yarn finger F permitted by slot 27, (Fig. 6). A slot 26 in the yarn finger, permits movement of screw to vary the position of that end of thewiper.

The operation is shown by acomparison of Figs. 1, 2 and a. In Figs. 1. and 2 the thrust rod is in lowest position resting on the surface of the drum 120. In Fig. lthe revolution of the cylinder has brought the cam face 296 into engagement with the wiper 13, displacingthe thrust rod laterally and causing member 15 to rock about its pivotv 16, to the extent permitted by pin 19,

' thus lifting theyarn finger F by the-action.

of cam face 20 on .wiper 21.

In Fig. 2 the needle-cylinderv is in another phase of its revolution and the cam faces are clear of the wiper 13. Rod 460 then rests and allows member 15 to swing to a position dropping the. yarn finger onto the throat plate. In Figure 41, the thrust rod has been lifted by cam 501- to r aisethe yarn finger out of operation position. It is to be noted that themovements of rodlGO incident to vertical shifting to vary its position with respect to the camshave no effect on themember 15 and that, whether rod 4:60 is on cam 501. or on the drum, lateral displacement of it by cam 296-givesthe same movement to the yarn finger. Thus, there is a positive and certain meansfor Controlling the splicing, operation and for giving it uniform functioning. A

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are tinct modifications of the invention. Fig. 7, the thrust rod has atits upper end a laterally offset extension 30. Swinging from an arm 31 on the member 555 is a dog 32 having a cam face 33 engaging a pin 34 on the yarn finger. The portion 35 of the extension 30 which engages the dog 32 is curved similarly to the, portion 18 in Fig. 1 and the cooperating edge of the dog 32 itself is curved so that upon vertical movement of the thrust rod to position wiper 13 adjacent the upper face 296, the extension 30 will slide on the dog 32 and Will not displace it laterally. Then upon displacement of the thrust rod by the cam 296, the dog 32 will be displaced to the position shown where it lifts the yarn finger by the action of cam 33 on pin 34. It is to be noted thatthe throat plate 559 is slotted as shown at 36 to permit the latch guard ring 550 to swing over the extension 30.

shown three dis- In Figure 8 there is an extension 40 having in its upper end an adjustable contact screw 41, locked in position by a nut 42. The screw engages an upstanding arm 44 on the yarn finger at a curved portion 45 so that the screw will slide on the arm when the thrust rod and wiper13 are shifted to position adjacent cam face 296*. The arm 40, in this case is not rigidly fixed to the thrust rod but is pivoted thereon at 46 and rests against a pin 41? on the thrust rod. When the latch guard is lifted it will tilt the arm 40 and swing over it. The throat plate 59 may be recessed as in Fig. 7 to permit free lifting of the ring, if desired.

In Figure 9, the intermediate means between the thrust rod and the yarn finger consists of a toggle mechanism of links 50 and 51 joined by a pin 52. Link 51 is recessed at one end to engage a pin 53 on the yarn finger while link 50 is pivoted on a fixed lug 54. Link 51 and the end S ofthe thrust rod have curved engaging faces 55, 56 to afford the sliding relation as in the other modifications.

It is understood that the description herein with reference to a particular machine is for the purpose only of showingthe present preferred application of the inventive idea. Other uses as well as many variations of the particular construction will ocour to those interested. For instance, it is obvious that the cam 296 on the needle cylinder, may be replaced by any means r0tatoperative position, said thrust rod having a cam follower thereon, a multiple cam rotatable with the needle cylinder and adapted to engage said follower to displace the thrust rod laterally, said camhaving faces of different lengths at different levels, said thrust rod being movable'to shift said cam follower from one of said cam face levels to an other and being inclined to the axis of the said cam, and a means between the upper end of the thrust rod and the yarn finger to transmit to the yarn finger only the displacementof the rod caused by the multiple cam.

2. In a circular knitting machine, a yarn finger movable between operative and inoperative positions, a thrust rod for putting said finger in an inoperative position, said thrust rod having a cam follower thereon, a multiple cam rotatable with the needle cylinder and adapted to engage said follower to displace the thrust rod laterally, said cam having faces of different lengths at different levels, said thrust rod being movable to shift said cam follower from one of said cam face levels to another and being inclined to the axis of the said cam, and a means, between the upper end of the thrust rod and the yarn finger, adapted to transmit to the yarn finger the displacement of said rod caused by said multiple cam and to compensate for lateral displacement of the rod incident to its movement in positioning the cam follower.

3. In a circular knitting machine, a yarn finger, athrust rod, a multiple cam having faces at'different levels and rotatable with the needle cylinder, a cam follower on said rod opposite said cam, a patterns cam for shifting said rod to move said yarn finger out of operative position and to position said camfollower with respect to said faces, said rod being so mounted that when shifted by said pattern cam its upper end is slightly displaced laterally, means for engaging the yarn finger for moving it out of operative position, said means engaging aportion of said end of the thrust rod, said portion being shaped to slide on said means without causing it to move said finger when moved .by said pattern'cam to position saidfollower, and to move said means to shift said finger When displaced by a face of said multiple cam. I v 1 4. In a circular knitting machine, a yarn finger and cams at different levels, in combination with a thrust rod at an angle to said cams and adapted to be rocked thereby,

and a member adapted to transmit to said yarn finger the rocking movements of said rod with compensation for the ,efiect of the difference in distance between the rod and the cams at different levels.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a yarn finger, cams moving in planes at different levels, in combination-with a thrust rod in clined at an angle to said planes and adapted to be moved from a position in Which it is rocked by one of said cams to a position in Which it is rocked by another of said cams and means transmitting such rocking movements of said rod to said yarn finger, said rod and said means beingadapted to maintain said finger unaffected While said rod is moved between said positions.

6. In'a circular knitting machine, a yarn finger, cams at different levels, a thrust rod movable vertically between positions in each of Which it is displaced laterally by a different one of said'cams, and movable vertically beyond said positions to engage and lift said yarn finger, said rod and said yarn finger being so related that said finger is independent of vertical movement of the rod between said positions relative to the cams and is vibrated to and from its feeding position by lateral movement of said rod by said cams.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT E. PAGE. 

